Page 47 of So Close

“We want to look like we’re pulling our weight, right? We worked hard on those ad creatives. Since your wife’s company is handling social media advertising for ECRA+, I thought you should be the one to deliver them personally.”

His wife is the problem here; I thought he’d see that. When Amy swiped through the turnstiles, it seemed like a golden opportunity. I sent Darius and his assistant up to Cross Industries and hoped for the best.

I throw the towel into the sink and face him. “Amy showed up here so drunk she could barely walk straight, then had a meltdown. A psychotic break, actually. She was a crazy person! You’re doing her zero favors by ignoring the problem in front of you. She should be committed for observation, then admitted to a treatment center that will sober her up.”

His face is like stone. “You’re not telling me everything. I live with her, for fuck’s sake. I know her better than anyone.”

“Fine. Keep deluding yourself until she stumbles into traffic one day, like Kane’s girl, and gets herself killed.”

“Hello.”

My entire back stiffens painfully at the sound of that girlish voice. Turning my head, I find my eldest son and his wife standing in the doorway to my office. They make a stunning couple: Kane in a black suit with a gray shirt and matching tie, and Lily in emerald, which brings even more attention to those snakelike eyes. His height somehow makes her look even more willowy. One of his hands is curved possessively around her slender hip, while the other carries a black leather satchel. Precious jewels glitter on her ears and encircle her wrist. She looks like royalty.

How is it possible that this day keeps getting worse?

Kane’s face is as remote as his brother’s. “My assistant caught us up.”

Lily walks in as if she owns the place, heading to Darius. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I don’t know. Whatcanyou do?” he retorts, bristling. But his shoulders slump when she simply stands there patiently, her face beautiful and eyes kind. “I don’t know where my wife is,” he mutters. “I need to call Ramin.”

“Let me handle that.” She holds her arm out behind her, and Kane walks to her, setting his phone in her hand. She taps in the code to unlock it as she steps away.

Is there no privacy between them? No secrets? There must be something, or I will never be able to break them apart.

Kane and Darius exchange a glance, and then both turn their faces toward me. My eldest’s face remains inscrutable, as always, but Darius has a look in his eye I haven’t seen before and don’t like at all.

“Why are you both looking at me like that?” I consciously work on dialing back my frustration.

Lily speaks quietly in the corner of the room. Somehow, within a minute, she’s become the hero and I the villain when I’m the one holding this family and company together. Where the hell hasshebeen?

I lift my chin, resenting them all.

“Ramin took her to an emergency dentist on Madison,” Lily says as she rejoins them. “He’s texting you the address.”

“Thank you.” His face softens with gratitude. He leaves without saying a word to me.

Lily turns her gaze on me. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything I can get you? Water or coffee, perhaps?”

“Thank you, Lily,” I tell her stiffly, offended by being treated like a fucking visitor. “I’m fine for now.”

What did I do to deservetwodaughters-in-law like Amy and Lily? If Ramin even looks twice at a lanky brunette with green eyes, I’ll blind him.

“I’ll wait out there,” she tells Kane, but when she takes a step, he catches her hand and stops her long enough to kiss her. Like the kiss he gave her in the library when I met her, it’s a chaste melding of their mouths, suitable for my viewing. But it lingers a heartbeat longer than a peck, and sexual tension heats the air around them. As they part, their gazes exchange promises that confirm my fears – getting rid of her will be troublesome.

She shuts the door behind her, and Kane stares after her as if he can’t bear to have her out of sight.

He faces me with a hard look, as if braced for an unpleasant task. “I’m sorry you went through that while all three of us were out of the office.”

I press a hand to my forehead, fighting off a headache that feels like a knife shoved through my temple. “I’m just so upset with Amy. And upsetforher, of course. Your brother doesn’t understand how badly she needs help. Maybe you could speak to him? He looks up to you. If you suggested a rehab program for Amy, he’d listen to you.”

“In no way do I feel comfortable commenting on his personal life.”

“He’s your brother!”

One of his darkly arched brows wings up as if to refute that.

I move over to my diffuser and wave the azalea-laden mist toward my face. I take a deep, calming breath. Arguing about Kane’s relationship with his siblings is a battle I’m not up to waging today. “Fine. Please, just think about it. Maybe Lily can discuss it directly with Amy?”

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